- President Joe Biden is already being tested on one of his true “first day” promises.
- On January 20, Biden said he would fire anyone who disrespected a colleague – “Don’t if, and or but”.
- On Friday, WH’s deputy press secretary was suspended for misogynistic threats against a reporter.
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The Biden White House is facing its first public relations crisis, and one of the president’s first day promises is being put to the test.
On January 20, Biden called in new hires for a videoconference as soon as the Induction Day ceremonies ended. He told them that he would be an advocate for a particular non-negotiable item.
“I’m not kidding when I say this: if you’re working with me and I hear that you treat others with disrespect, talk to someone, I promise I’ll fire you on the spot,” said Biden. “On the spot. No ifs, ands or buts.”
As of Friday, a documented incident by a White House official disrespecting a colleague resulted not in a layoff, but in a suspension closer to “if, and, or but” territory.
White House deputy press secretary TJ Ducklo was suspended for a week without pay for threatening a Politico reporter.
“I’m going to destroy you,” said Ducklo, 32, to Politico Playbook co-author Tara Palmeri, according to Vanity Fair.
Palmeri was assigned to report the love relationship between Ducklo and Alexi McCammond, an Axios political reporter. McCammond, 26, was covering Biden’s campaign when he became friends and later started dating Ducklo, which prompted her to change her script and cancel plans to cover the White House.
In a phone call with Ducklo, Palmeri agreed to speak off before the employee started scolding her, according to Vanity Fair, which reported the incident for the first time.
In addition to just discussing his relationship with McCammond, Ducklo made verbally abusive comments that many characterized as sexual harassment.
He reportedly told Palmeri that she was only writing the story because she was “jealous” of McCammond. Going even further, Ducklo said Palmeri was jealous because another unidentified man “wanted to f —” McCammond “and not you”, although Palmeri never had any interaction with McCammond before contacting her for the story .
The vulgar and sexist nature of the threats quickly attracted the condemnation of prominent journalists, such as CNN anchor Jake Tapper.
—Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) February 12, 2021
“I have had verbal fights with press secretaries for over 20 years and no one has ever spoken to me like that,” tweeted Tapper. “It is misogyny and emblematic of the double standard that reporters face.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement on Friday that Ducklo apologized in writing to Palmeri and that his deputy is “the first to recognize that this is not the standard of behavior set by the president”.
Biden’s promise was also raised by reporters during Psaki’s daily briefing.
—TV News HQ (@TVNewsHQ) February 12, 2021
When asked why Ducklo was suspended only after the Vanity Fair story was published and not weeks before – when Politico’s editors corresponded with the White House about the incident – Psaki swerved.
“You are right. There were conversations that took place with the reporter, as well as with the Politico editors immediately after the conversation,” said Psaki. “That was how we engaged, privately. And that was what we thought was appropriate at the time.”
Psaki said he did not discuss Ducklo’s punishment with Biden, but that his behavior was “unacceptable” and she made the decision to suspend him without pay after consulting with the White House chief of staff, Ron Klain.
“And that, in our opinion,” said Psaki of the suspension, “was an important step in sending the message that we do not think this is acceptable.”